2,3-Difluoro-6-nitrophenol (0.7 g, 3.7 mmol) was stirred with K2CO3 (0.5 g, 3.7 mmol) in DMF (10 mL) for 10 min. Bromoethane 6 (1.1 g, 3.1 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture and heated at 70° C. for 24 hrs. The reaction mixture was diluted with ether (30 mL) and washed with water (20 mL) and then brine (20 mL). The ether layer was dried (MgSO4) and concentrated under reduced pressure. Fractionation of the crude product by flash chromatography with 4:1 hexane/ethyl acetate provided 7 as a yellow oil (960 mg, 63%). 1H NMR: 4.45 (t, J=5 Hz, 2H), 4.71 (t, J=5 Hz, 2H), 5.05 (s, 2H), 7.0-7.7 (m, 10H)
